Goddess Worship
Goddess Worship,' '''officially known as the ''Church of the Golden Goddesses ''or Church of the Goddesses'', is the dominant religion of Hyrule, practiced to some extent by a majority of the civilized peoples of Hyrule, including the Hylians, Sheikah, Gerudo, Ordonians, Kokiri, High Zoran, Gorons, Minish, and Oocca. It is defined by the worship of three divine beings, Din, Farore, and Nayru who form a holy trinity represented by the Triforce, the union of power, courage, and wisdom. The scripture of the faith is the Book of Mudora, a collection of stories describing the creation of the world and its purpose. Outside of the Kingdom of Hyrule and its provinces, there is no official orthodoxy, and many peoples of Hyrule vary in the form and rigidity of their worship, some favoring one of the three Goddesses over the others, or being open to non-Goddess worshipers. The Goddesses The three Golden Goddesses of Hyrule are generally revered as the creators of the world and only true deities, with the gods of other cultures being considered everything from Demons and false idols to being incorporated as lesser servants or aspects of the Goddesses. Notably, the Goddesses are considered non-interventionalist deities, having withdrawn to the Sacred Realm after the creation of the world, and enacting their will through their servants, the First Sages, Oracles, and other Spirits. * Din, Goddess of Power. Usually depicted as a female figure formed from pure light or gold, she represents the enactment of will to shape reality, and is associated with creativity, passion, free will, and martial strength, as well as music and dancing. She is strongly linked to the raw natural forces of the world, earth and fire, and is said to have created the raw world of Hyrule. Din is favored by the Gerudo and Gorons. Her favored First Sage was Maphaeus, First Sage of Fire. * Farore, Goddess of Courage. Usually depicted as a female figure formed from pure light or gold, she represents the ability to uphold principles and adapt to change, and is associated with fertility, health, spirit, vitality, life, and woodwind instruments. She is most strongly linked to the living things of Hyrule, particularly plants and forests, and is said to have created the living things of Hyrule to learn and uphold the teachings of the Goddesses. Her favored First Sage was Sulkaris, First Sage of Forests. * Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom. Usually depicted as a female figure formed from pure light or gold, she represents the learning and application of new knowledge and old tradition and is associated with love, virtue, law, and knowledge, singing, and stringed musical instruments. She is strongly linked to the sea and is said have shaped the life giving oceans and rivers of Hyrule, as well as bringing order, law, knowledge, and civilization to the mortals of Hyrule. "By Nayru!" is commonly used as an expression of shock, horror, or amazement. Her favored First Sage was Malkorbagia, First Sage of Water. The First Sages, Oracles, and Spirits A central tenant of most forms of Goddess Worship is reverence of the Sages and Oracles as the hands of the Goddesses. The seven First Sages and their successors, according to the Book of Mudora, were Spirits given physical form by the Goddesses. Each was tasked with ensuring the natural processes of the world continued to function as intended so that the mortals of Hyrule could serve the Goddesses. Meanwhile, the Oracles were three spirits made in the mortal image of the Goddesses, tasked with spreading their teachings to mortals. In addition, the Light Spirits, lesser Spirits, and some Dragons are regarded as servants of the Goddesses. The First Sages * Dimohcio (Demoko), First Sage of Time. Commonly depicted as a male figure of inanimate metal. The first of the First Sages, tasked with ensuring the flow of time and change in Hyrule. Demoko is largely obscure in modern Goddess Worship, only remembered as the distant leader of the seven, though can be traced across Hyrule's history under epithets like'' Sky Emperor or Empty One''. Its domain is the City in the Sky, and its servants are the Oocca. * [[Solahrasin|'Solayradin']]' (''Solahrasin), First Sage of Light'. Commonly depicted as a male figure of pure light. The second of the First Sages, tasked with serving as Hyrule's "immune system," exposing all falsehoods and ensuring order and life. It is also known as the ''Diamond Sage or Silent Lord, and associated with the colors white and yellow, justice, honor, loyalty, and trust. Its domain is the Silent Realm, and its servants are the Silent Ones. * [[Maphaeus|'Mafrasus']]' (''Maphaeus), First Sage of Fire. Commonly depicted as a female figure made of flames and magma. The third of the First Sages, tasked with maintaining the natural processes of earth and flame. It is also known as Sage of Earth or Ruby Sage, and is associated with the color red, freedom, free will, rebellion, fun, dancing, burning, and destruction. Its domain is the Death Mountain Range, and its servants included the Volvagians, as well the Gorons, who were an accidental byproduct of Mafrasus trying to form life from fire and earth. Mafrasus is the patron goddess of the Gorons, seen as the embodiment of Din. * [[Malkorbagia|'''Malciroracia]]' (''Malkorbagia),'' First Sage of Water.' Commonly depicted as a female figure made of flowing water. The fourth of the First Sages, tasked with maintaining the natural processes of water and ice. It is also known as the Sapphire Sage or Maiden of Grace, and associated with the color blue, grace, beauty, virginity, decency, censorship, knowledge, research, education, and lawful morality. Its domain is the Greshou Peninsula and its servants included the High Zoran and Hybrid Zora, who revere it as a patron goddess and embodiment of Nayru, for providing the waters they crave. However, explicit worship of Malciroracia is banned in both the Zora Dominion and Lanayru Province, existing as an underground cult. * [[Sulkaris|'Sulciarys']]' (''Sulkaris), ''First Sage of Forests.' Commonly depicted as a mortal female covered in leaf-shaped armor, and is commonly considered the first representation of the female form amongst the servants of the Goddesses. The fifth of the First Sages, tasked with maintaining the processes of life and change, as well as protecting and shaping Hyrule's mortals. Once also known as the Emerald Sage, Sulkaris was associated with the color green, but is demonized in the Book of Mudora as the Fallen Sage, ''described as coveting the Triforce and being exiled by the other First Sages, only to lead the Gohma against the mortals of Hyrule. As such, all depictions of her notably lack a halo, representing her fall from grace. Before the fall from grace, its domain was the primordial forests of Hyrule, and its servants the Huskus. * [[Evaleen|'Ylvralyn']]' (Evaleen), ''First Sage of Shadows. '''Commonly depicted as a mortal female cloaked in bandages and shadow. The sixth of the First Sages, tasked with maintaining the processes of death and decay, as well as withholding forbidden knowledge from the mortals of Hyrule. It is also known as the ''Amethyst Sage or Queen of the Dead, and associated with the colors black, dark red, and purple, as well as darkness, secrets, hidden knowledge, the forbidden and profane, death, decay, burial, blood, embalming, and disease. Its domain was the forgotten and dark places under Hyrule's surface, specifically under what would become the town of Kakariko, and its servants the undead, created by the practice of the forbidden art of necromancy. While not their patron deity, is often revered by the Sheikah. * [[Kovaloo|'Civraloo']]' (''Kovaloo), ''First Sage of Spirits.' Commonly depicted as a serpentine female figure composed of wind and movement. The seventh of the First Sages, tasked with maintaining the natural processes of wind and air, as well as guiding the souls of the dead to the afterlife in Termina. It is also known as the Sage of Winds or Amber Sage, or to the Gerudo as the Sand Goddess, and is associated with the color orange, wind, sand, erosion, the cycle of life and death, spirits, and the afterlife. Its domain was the windswept sands of the Gerudo Desert, and its servants the Kovalians, who learned the secret art of Spirit Magic, calling the souls of the departed from Termina to power constructs or fight for the living. Kovaloo was the patron goddess of the Kovalians and the Gerudo in the form of the Sand Goddess for many centuries, seen as the embodiment of Din, but was eventually discarded in favor of direct worship of Din. Oracles * [[Din (Oracle)|'Din']], Oracle of Power. Created in the image of the Goddess Din, she is commonly depicted as a wild Hyrulean woman with the demeanor of a warrior or dancer. She was tasked with spreading the knowledge of warfare, free will, and the arts to the Firstborn. * Farore, Oracle of Courage. Created in the image of the Goddess Farore, she is commonly depicted as a wild Hyrulean woman with a crazed demeanor and green hair arranged in twin pigtails. She was tasked with spreading the knowledge of agriculture, change, and the cycle of life and death to the Firstborn. * Nayru, Oracle of Wisdom. Created in the image of the Goddess Nayru, she is commonly depicted as an elder Hyrulean woman marked by age and wisdom. She was tasked with spreading the knowledge of law, morality, and civilization to the Firstborn. Light Spirits * Latoan, Spirit of Ordona. Depicted as a great Ordonian Goat made of light and stone. Revered in Ordona Province as a bringer of life and fertility, in service of the Goddesses. Its domain is the Ordon Spring and the Menoat River that flow from it. * Vrylonacia, Spirit of Lanayru. Depicted as a great Shore Serpent made of water, light, and stone. Directly worshiped in Lanayru Province over the Goddesses, as a bringer of peace and change. Its domain is the Lanayru River, specifically the Rutala Dam and Lanayru Promenade. * Faron, Spirit of Faron. Depicted as a great monkey made of light and stone. Revered as the god of nature and life in the Lizalfos pantheon. Its domain is the Faron River. * Eldin, Spirit of Eldin. Depicted as a great raptor made of light and stone. Revered as the god of the hunt in the Lizalfos pantheon. Its domain is the springs hidden among the hills and mountains of Eldin Province. Organization Goddess Worship is highly varied in its practice and organization, with the most highly structured denomination being the Hylian Church of the Goddesses. Many other peoples practice Goddess Worship as Patron Deity Worship, favoring one specific Goddess they most associated with their culture or beliefs. For example, the Gerudo and Gorons revere Din, while the Kokiri revere Farore and the Zora Dominion reveres Nayru. Many of these forms of worship are more tolerant and flexible than Hylian orthodoxy, incorporating elements of old cults or other pagan religion that predated the adoption of worship of the Goddesses. Priests Across the Kingdom of Hyrule, Goddess Deacons spread the faith and serve as the face of the religion, reciting the Book of Mudora and Doctrine of the Goddesses to the masses. They are predominantly female, wearing white and often taking vows of faith. Goddess Deacons are infamously orthodox and intolerant in their interpretation of the Book of Mudora, following a strict code of laws known as the Doctrine of the Goddesses said to have been established by the First Sages. The unofficial head of the Church in the Kingdom of Hyrule is the Sage of Light. In Ordona Province, Goddess Worship is ministered by Reverends, predominantly male religious figures who wander the land, preaching a highly passionate, but less dogmatic, interpretation of the Book of Mudora. Ordonian Goddess Worship does not follow the Doctrine of the Goddesses, and also includes reverence of the Light Spirit Latoan as a servant of the Goddesses. Triforce Vanguard A specialized order in the Kingdom of Hyrule, dedicated to protecting the Triforce, they give their lives to fanatical service of the goddesses and specialize in fighting and hunting magic users. Category:Religion Category:Deities